potter



Nd. 620,355. I I I Patented Feb. I899.

E. M. POTTER. v

00FFEE BOASTING MACHENE.

1 (Application filed Dec. 9, 1898. (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

{in mum.)

Patented Feb. 28, I899. E. M. POTTER.

COFFEE RGASTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Dec. 9, 189B.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELLIS M. POTTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COFFEE-ROASTING MACHINE.

$PECIIICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 620,355, dated. February 28, 1899.

Application filed December 9,1898. sesame. 698,771. (Noniodem To all whom it may con'cerm' Be it known that I, ELLIS M. POTTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at N err-York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coffee-Roasting Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, 'clear, and exact description-of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has relation to the art of roasting various materials and particularly coffee; and the primary objects of my invention are to provide an improved apparatus for roasting coffee, whereby I am enabled to improve the style of roast, improve the Ilavor of the drink, cause all chaif, dust, smoke, &c., produced during the roasting proccss to be removed from the roasting-cylinder as fast as generated, and reduce the cost of roasting due to economy in the use of the gas and effect the roasting in a shorter time than has heretoi'ore been possible.

The present invention is particularly ap plicable to that class of roasting-machines by means wherein is employed a notatable cylinder to contain the charge of berries to be roasted, which chargp is roasted by direct contact with a gas-flame projected into the cylinder, as seen, for instance, in United States Letters Patent No. 558,123, granted April 14, 1896, to B. 'lupholme.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view, partly broken away, of a colfee-roasting machine using an internal gas-flame provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a front elevation tliei'eof, some of the parts being omitted. 1

-I Ieretofore in all coffee-roasting machines wherein a gas-flame projected within thecylinderis employed such cylinder has been pro-'- vided with an opening in one head through which projects the gas pipe or pipes supplying the gas for the'fiame, andwith a perforated circumferential wall tlirough which the chalf is drawn during the roasting operation an exhaust-fan communicating with the a: wall through a pipe, one end of which leads 0111 the casing surrounding the roasting c5 .-.,..ler, as seen,for instance, in the substantially direct line from the exit-orifices of the burner-pipes toward the end of the exhaust-pipe. This concentration of the flame has the following disadvantages: It reduces the flame area within thecylinder and conceiitrates or intensifies the heat of such flame within such reduced area, and as the roasting is effected by reason of the direct contact of the berries with such flame such intensifica tion of the heat operates to burn or scorch the outer surface of the berries before the interior thereof has become sufiiciently roasted. Thus in order to obtain a roast which is light in col r, as is often desired,"it becomes neeessaf to cut off the flame long before the interi r of the berries has been sufiiciently roasted, and thus an inferior product is the result. 5 Furthermore, the concentration of the flame results in intense heating of interior parts of the ylinder, which heated parts serve to spot or guru the outer surface of the berries when the latter come in contact therewith during the roasting process, and this again produces an inferior product. Also by reason of the intense heating action of the concentrated flame it has been necessary to reduce the quantity of gas admitted to the cylinder to thereby produce a reduced flame; but this results in requiring a longer period for the roasting of a charge.

I It is one of the objects of my invention to spread or diverge the gas-flame over a comparatively large area, so as to prevent concentration of the flame, with the consequent disadvantages enumerated, so that the berries will be caused to pass through a flame area of increased size, and whereby the scorching is avoided and a more even roasting action upon the berries is obtained, so that the interior 'of theberries will be thoroughly roasted by the time the outer portions are sufliciently roasted.

Furthermore, it is my object to draw the 'to form a close joint.

to traverse the entire width of the cylinder,

thus insuring the berries being thrown into and across the flame continuously during the roasting process.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood,I will proceed to describe the same in detail.

In the accompanying drawings Ihave shown a form of roastingmachine such as is described in detail in the before-mentioned Letters Patent and upon which construction my present invention is an improvement.

In theaccompanying drawings, A indicates the supporting-frame, and B B the rollers upon which rotate the hollow trunnions C D of the roasting-cylinder E. F indicates the casing surrounding the cylinder, and H H are burnerpipes for the gas or mixed gas and air. All these parts are similar in general construction, arrangement, and operation to the same parts shown in the above-mentioned Letters Patent, and it will therefore not be necessary to further describe these parts in detail.

Instead of making the circumferential wall of the cylinder of perforated material, as in the patent cited, I may make it non-perforated, and in the head of said cylinder, around the trunnion D, I form an opening G, which opening is therefore axially opposite the trunnion C or burner-pipes therein. This opening G, I make of large diameter, whereby primarily to cause the flame projected from the pipes H H to be drawn axially across the cylinder and at the same time to be diverged or spread when the exhaust-fan is in operation. This opening also serves for the exhaust of the chafi, dust, smoke, &c., from the cylinder as fast as generated. The opening Gis in com- I munication with an exhaust-pipe I, whose lower end is enlarged and may communicate with opening G through a suitable opening formed in the casing F. Communication between the exhaust-pipe and the opening G is preferably established by the followingcon struction:

The cylinder-head is provided with an annular flange L, surrounding the opening G, against which flange is held a ring M, so as The ring is secured by bolts 0 to a semicircular plate N,which is set within an opening in"the upper half or section P of the head of the casing F. Said head is divided horizontally to form said upper section Pand a lower section Q, said sections having flanges at their meeting edges which are bolted together, as at R. ,The lower section Q has an opening for the passage of the trunnion D of the cylinder.

The plate N is provided at its lower horizontal edge with a flange T,which rests upon the flange on the upper edge of the section Q, which flange has slotted holes S for the passage of the bolts U,which secure the plate N adjnstablyto the section Q, and'said plate N is also providedwith an opening W, with which communicates the exhaust-pipe I, the lower section whereof is preferably integral with the plate N.

Vindicates adjusting belts or screws which work withinthe section Q and bear upon the ring M. It will thus be seen that when it is desired to adjust the ring inwardly to compensate for wear between the ring and flange L,whereby to maintain a close joint, the bolts U are loosened and the bolts V adjusted inwardly to force the ring into close contact .with the flange L, after which the bolts U are tightened to hold the ring and exhaust-flue firmly in position.

Within the pipe I is arranged a suitable suction or exhaust fan S, which when operated from any suitable source during the roasting process serves to draw off the chaff, &c., and discharge it at the opposite end of the pipe I and at the same time spread and draw the flame across the interior of-the cylinder. I preferably arrange over the opening G wire-gauze T or the like .to prevent the berries being drawn up intothe exhaust-pipe.

If. desired, afterthe coffee has b93511. d lfliz, ciently roasted and the gas-flame has been out 01?, I can utilize the draft appliances for drawing cold air across the interior of the cylinder, whereby to cool the roasted berries before'discharging them from the cylinder.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a coffee-roasting machine, the combination with a rotatable cylinder, the heads whereof are provided with hollow journals one of said journals being also adapted to serve for the passage of samples of the roasting berries, means for introducing gas or mixed gas and air through the other journal whereby to obtain an internal gas-flame, and means for simultaneously causing the flame to project across the interior of the cylinder and discharging the chaff, &c., from the latter at a point between the periphery of the cylinder and the journal opposite to that through which the gas is admitted.

i 2. In a eofiee-roastingmac nation with a rotatable cylinder, m admitting gas or mixed gas and air into the cylinder through one head thereof whereby to obtain an internal gas-flame, and a journal head at a point between the periphery and the journal.

3. In a coffee-roasting machine, the combination with a rotatable cylinder the heads whereof are provided with journals and one of said heads being also provided with a comparatively large opening between the periphery of the cylinder and the journal of said head, and a pipe or pipes projecting within and adapted to conduct gas or mixed gas and air through the other journal whereby to obtain an internal gas-flame, of means for causi ng the flame to project across the interior of the cylinder and to spread or diverge as described, comprising an exhaust-pipe in communication with the interior of the cylinder through the said opening.

4. In a coffee-roasting machine, the combination with a rotatable cylinder, the heads whereof are provided with journals one of which latter is adapted to contain a sampling device, and one of the heads being also pro-. vided between its journal and the periphery of the cylinder with an exhaust-opening, of means for admitting gas or mixed gas and air into the cylinder at the side opposite to the exhaust-opening, a casing inclosing the cylinder and provided in one of its heads with an exhaust opening adjacent to the exhaustopening in the cylinder-head and an exhaustpipe arranged over the opening in the casinghead and havingcommunication with the interior of the cylinder through the said exhaust-openings in the casing and cylinder heads, all arranged for cooperation as dosoribed.

5. In a coffee-roasting machine, the combination with a rotatable cylinder, the heads whereof are provided with journals and one of the heads being also provided between its journal and the periphery of the cylinder with an exhaust-opening, of means for admitting gas or mixed gas and air into the cylinder at the side opposite to the exhaust-opening, a casing inclosing the cylinder, a plate forming a section of the casing-head and being provided with an exhaust-opening adjacent to the exhaust-opening in the cylinder-head, an exhaust-pipe arranged over the opening in the plate and being in communication with the interior of the cylinder through the said exhaust-openings, and means-forforming a close joint between the plate Ll1(1(}lll1(lC1 head circninferentially around the exhaustopening in the latter, all as and for the pit i poses specified.

6. In a coffee-roasting machine, the combination with a rotatable cylinder, the heads the side opposite to the exhaust-opening, a

casing inclosing the cy1inder,a plate forming a section of the casing-head and being pro= vided with an exhaust-opening adjacent to the exhaust-openin gin the cylinder-head, and said plate being adapted to be adjusted inwardly and to form a close joint with the cylinder-head around the exliaust openingin the latter, and an exhaust; 'ipe arranged over the exhaust-opening in the plate and communicating with the interior of the cylinder through the said exhaust-openings, all as and for the purposes specified.

7. In a coffee-roasting machine, the combination with a rotatable cylinder, one of the heads whereof is provided with an exhaustopening, and an inclosing casing for said cylinder, of a plate adjustably arranged within an opening in a head of the casing, a ring carried by said plate and adapted to form aclose joint with said cylinder-head, a flue carried by the plate, and means for adjusting the ringandplato inwardlyand sceuringthc same in adjusted position, for the purpose specified.

8. In a coffee-roasting machine, the combination with a rotatable cylinder, one of the heads whereof is provided with an exhaustopening, and an inclosing casing for said cylinder, one of the heads whereof is divided into upper and lower sections bolted together,

of a plate adj ustably arranged within an opening in the upper section, a ring carried by said plate and adapted to form a close joint with said cylinder-head, a fine carried by the plate, and means for adjusting the ring and plate inwardly and securing the same in adjusted position, for the purpose specified.

' E. M. POTTER.

Witnesses:

R. K. DYAS, F. '1. IIoL'MEs. 

